Start an exe, then wait for its window, and get the top handle ....

[zaphy2k2]

Hi,

Im pretty new to C++, but have done alot with java/vb etc. I am tearing my hair out with this :

I am launching an App with CreateProcess(), and then need to get its HWND for the main window (eg notepad.exe) to set it to always stay on top. Now when i launch it, it may not have initialized the top window byt the time the C code executes. Can i either get it to post me a message when the window is ready, or get it some other way? I have been using getActiveWindow, but i dont always get it (sometimes i get the console / VC++ etc). I can then set it to alwaysOnTop with setWindowPos, and wait for it to end with CreateSingleObject(). Any help / further questions u want to ask me on the problem would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

-=A=-

 

[OSR]

Hi, I've dabbled in some stuff that is very similar to what your trying to accomplish.

The CreateProcess() fxn has a return-type of BOOL so you can use that to determine when the code has finished executing and the process has been created.

I was stumped in my project when I could not find a way to return an HWND from the CreateProcess() fxn. But there are 2 structs associated with the CreateProcess() fxn that hold all of the attributes of the New Window. They are STARTUP_INFO and PROCESS_INFO structs, I believe the vars useful to you are in the PROCESS_INFO struct.

PROCESS_INFO records the ID and other 32-bit identifiers of the process and the thread that is created. Before you close both the process and the thread I believe it may be possible to use those ID's, either the thread ID or process ID to perform a getHWND() fxn before you close the thread and processes.

Example:
HWND m_hWnd;
m_hWnd = pi.hProcess.getHWND();


or something to that effect, not sure if that would work since I've been out of the VC++ loop for awhile. Probably someone could suggest a better code example and see if that works. Rocco is the BOY!!

M O T I V A T E!

 

[Guest_imported]

To figure out when CreateProcess has finished creating the process, use WaitForInputIdle(handle of process). As soon as WaitForInputIdle returns, use GetForegroundWindow()to get an HWND for the process window.

Ulysses